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Waffle Daily

Daily Waffle #82 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Thursday, May 21, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #82

6 words hide in this 5×5 grid. You get 15 swaps, and the best solve takes 10.

Want one more try first? Play #82.

Hints for each word in #82

Tap one hint at a time. The clue comes first. Then you get the first and last letters. The word shows only when you tap the last button.

  1. Word 1: the top row (row 1)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: someone who takes bodies from graves and sells them for anatomical dissection

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with G and ends with L.

    Show the word

    GHOUL

  2. Word 2: the middle row (row 3)

    Hint 1: the clue

    verb: walk leisurely

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with A and ends with E.

    Show the word

    AMBLE

  3. Word 3: the bottom row (row 5)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a V-shaped indentation

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with N and ends with H.

    Show the word

    NOTCH

  4. Word 4: the left column (column 1)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a relatively small granular particle of a substance

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with G and ends with N.

    Show the word

    GRAIN

  5. Word 5: the middle column (column 3)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: the (usually elliptical) path described by one celestial body in its revolution about another

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with O and ends with T.

    Show the word

    ORBIT

  6. Word 6: the right column (column 5)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: carnivorous or bloodsucking aquatic or terrestrial worms typically having a sucker at each end

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with L and ends with H.

    Show the word

    LEECH

What is the answer to Waffle #82?

The answer is 6 words that fit together in one grid. Tap below to see all of them. This puzzle has only one answer, so if your words differ, a letter is still in the wrong place.

Show the full answer grid

Across: GHOUL, AMBLE, NOTCH

Down: GRAIN, ORBIT, LEECH

How do you solve #82 in 10 swaps?

Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 5 of them. The list below is one shortest route from the start to the answer.

Show every swap
  1. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 5, column 4. This puts H and C in place.
  2. Swap row 1, column 5 with row 2, column 3. This puts L and R in place.
  3. Swap row 5, column 2 with row 5, column 5. This puts O and H in place.
  4. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 4, column 3. This puts I in place.
  5. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 5, column 1. This puts G and N in place.
  6. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 3, column 2. This puts U in place.
  7. Swap row 2, column 5 with row 3, column 1. This puts A in place.
  8. Swap row 2, column 5 with row 3, column 4. This puts E in place.
  9. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 3, column 4. This puts L in place.
  10. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 4, column 1. This puts M and I in place.

What do the words in #82 mean?

GHOUL
noun: someone who takes bodies from graves and sells them for anatomical dissection
AMBLE
verb: walk leisurely
NOTCH
noun: a V-shaped indentation
GRAIN
noun: a relatively small granular particle of a substance
ORBIT
noun: the (usually elliptical) path described by one celestial body in its revolution about another
LEECH
noun: carnivorous or bloodsucking aquatic or terrestrial worms typically having a sucker at each end

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Thursday, May 21, 2026.